“I started off a little rough this season but I’m getting better,”said Butler. “I’ve been playing better golf and I like the way I’m hitting the ball.”

Other BHHS golfers improved upon their personal best scores.

Alex McKee shot a 100 for his round of 18 holes and McKenzie Edwards, the lone female golfer on the BHHS team, shot a 105, a mere seven strokes off the leader.

“My game has improved a lot,” said the freshman who admitted she grew up near a golf course. “My first meet I shot a 136 and then a 145, which is pretty bad, but I feel like I’m shooting much better now.”

The Bruins shot an overall 419 as a team, just off that elusive 400 score they are seeking. Whether they reach that goal or not, McConnell has seen dramatic improvement over the course of the season.

“We shot 496 at one of the earlier tournaments. Now we are down to the low 400s. That’s an average of 20 fewer strokes per golfer. That’s a really good improvement,” said McConnell.

The Bruins will be back at Bandon Crossings at 9 a.m. next Monday to compete in the all-important regional meet, with state meet qualifications on the line.